Podcast #245 – Thank God for Science

We are bemused and befuddled by the tendency of the pious to thank God for their good luck (especially when it comes to medical recoveries), but ignore the direct and obvious contributions of medical researcher, doctors, nurses, paramedics, etc. (And why is it that God occasionally cures cancer and other diseases, but never bothers to cure missing limbs and organs? Curiouser and curiouser.)

Plus:

The Roman Catholic Church has scheduled September 4th as the date when the late Mother Teresa will achieve sainthood. Nevermind that she seemingly valuedÂ the transcendence of suffering over the relieving of suffering, and hobnobbed with dictators. And nevermind that the “evidence” supporting her alleged miracles would be laughed out of a court of law. Apparently the gullibility of the faithful is enough to become a saint.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio has dropped out of the presidential primary after getting trounced in his home state, lamenting (pitifully) that “it is not God’s plan that I be president in 2016 or maybe ever.” Which reminded us of the (perhaps not so surprisingly) large number of Republican candidates who claim that God told them to run for president. In the case of the 2016 Republican primary, given the fact that so many such candidates have had to drop out, is God just messing with them?

There’s been a rash lately of state and local police forces putting “In God We Trust” on their squad cars. After all, it’s the national motto. It’s just for patriotic reasons and not because it expresses a religious sentiment (wink-wink)–who could object? Now the cops in Alpine, Texas are putting Christian crosses on their cars, and they’re being sued by FFRF for their efforts.

Finally, Egyptian Justice Minister Ahmed El-Zend is out of job (and maybe soon out of a life) for joking on national television that he would jail even the Prophet Mohammed if he committed certain crimes. Islamic society is notoriously humorless when it comes to jokes about the Prophet, so let’s hope that El-Zend can retire in peace and not end up headless for an ill-advised off-the-cuff remark. (But just imagine the outcry in this country if US Attorney General Loretta Lynch had said at a Senate hearing thatÂ she would jail “even Jesus” for such-and-such crime? She wouldn’t lose her head, but she would lose her cabinet position.)